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How Not to Use Twitter

Today, I’ve learned how to use Tweetdeck’s filter feature. That’s the little option at the bottom of each column that lets you filter out certain tweets based on any word. I was filtering out everything with MVDAY, a hash tag being used to enter a local contest.

The contest gives you a chance to “Tweet” your sweetheart to a Steak & Seafood for Two dinner at Morton’s The Steakhouse, complimentary valet parking, and roses from Connells Maple Lee Flowers and Gifts on Valentine’s Day. To be eligible to win, Tweet about why you want to take your significant other to Morton’s Columbus on Valentine’s Day in 140 characters or less. You must follow these rules:

Participants must live in Central Ohio

Participants need to include this hash tag in the tweet: #MVDAY

The words “Morton’s Columbus” must be included in the Tweet (exactly as written, but without the quotes)

Participants can enter multiple times as long as the Tweet is unique every time and the above rules are followed.

As someone who follows a number of local people on twitter, let me rephrase the contest into what it really means. Spam the hell out of your followers with inane tweets mentioning a restaurant on the outside chance that you might actually be the one person to win a nice dinner from them, in fact, the more you do it, the more likely you’ll be to be the one winner!

Shockingly, despite this absolutely outlandish request to bug the heck out of tweeters in Central Ohio, many, many of the people I follow spent the day telling everyone how much they want to eat at Morton’s. Personally, I may just decide to never eat there, and instead donate some money to a tool that let me filter out all of that crap and see the tweets I actually cared about.